Influential players

Who are the most influential rugby players in the world?

We assembled a panel of nine who each provided their top 50. Then we awarded 50 points to each No 1, 49 to each No 2, and so on, and tallied up the results.

Today, players 21-30.

30. Anton Lienert-Brown New Zealand, centre, seven votes, 124 point

Lienert-Brown has played more than 80 Super Rugby matches and

49 tests since his All Blacks debut in

2016, all before turning 26 on April

15. The Chiefs midfielder, who is equally adept at second five-eighth or centre, is a class act, excellent at offloading and carrying, and a reliable rock who shores up his team’s midfield. His composure and quality make him the first name on the team sheet.

29. Duane Vermeulen South Africa, No 8, four votes,

128 points

Given this guy’s influence and form, could easily have been ranked a lot higher than this. At 34, might be nearing the end of a remarkable career, but showed at the World Cup, and then again in South African domestic rugby in 2020 (where he was crowned player of the year), that he remains a formidable and fearsome competitor. The 1.93m, 117kg Bulls captain is arguably the premier No

8 on the planet.

28. Malcolm Marx

South Africa, hooker, five votes,

131 points

The 26-year-old former Lions (SA) star, currently plying his trade in Japan, has emerged as one of the premier modern hookers, mixing toughness and power with attacking skills and breakdown influence. Has a superb engine and outstanding mobility, but also more than capable of mixing it in the rough stuff close in.

27. Handre´ Pollard

South Africa, first five-eighth, seven votes, 133 points

The latest in a long line of